Helping to Create Further Employment for Queensland
A comprehensive range of practical economic policies have been brought to the people of Queensland with the clear outcome of creating jobs and boosting the real opportunities for business.
Government is committed to keeping the state and the nation’s unemployment levels as low as practicable and to ensure that training opportunities continue to be available to ensure that all industries have the opportunity to grow. These are important initiatives but while Australia continues to have a two speed economy there needs to be clear recognition that many industries and the small businesses that contribute to them, are struggling mercilessly.
We in ARAMA are important contributors to regional economies with the majority of our members in Queensland in the holiday and short term letting sector catering for national and international visitors looking to have a memorable holiday. It is no secret that since the GFC, our industry has been doing it tough, and whilst our members have been using their diversity of skills to attract business, the knock-on effect has been a severe impact on investors as well as the economies of businesses in the region that provide services to our members and the general community.
The management rights industry was born in Queensland and our industry has surfed on the success of the Queensland economy and suffered downturns from time to time as a result of economic changes. But as an industry that has continued to grow each decade, we have continued to develop the professional approach to management for the benefit of our key stakeholders, our owners, investors, tenants and holidaymakers.
Like other industries that suffer the issues of cycles, such as farmers, the construction industry and the retailers, we need recognition and understanding from government that the accommodation industry is a core industry.
We are down but we are not out and we are working diligently to ensure that as the national and international economy improves, we remain ready to deliver.
We know that the dynamics of life change and the mining boom has meant that in some key centres, FIFO workers have taken up residence in the Sunshine and Gold coasts because of the lack of accommodation facilities, the long term issues for the growth of the Queensland economy still requires greater recognition and support of what is an iconic and historic industry. One of the key targets is for our state’s tourist industry to get real support from the state and federal governments to stimulate the industry to proactively attract international visitors to come to our unique and safe locations and venues and enjoy themselves in a friendly nation.
Whilst the management rights industry is not all about tourism, so many of our members are involved in caring for accommodation venues in the state’s key holiday and spectacular environments and have been part of that major industry sector that has been so much a part of the economic growth of the state and national economy in previous decades. We know people want to come to these centres but Australians appear to be concerned about spending and international visitors are being tempted to go to other destinations because of the high level of the Australian dollar.
We at ARAMA believe that governments need to realise that while they are sympathetic to the cause and looking at campaigns to sell the dream, they are not assisting in two major fields, protecting the existing product and not encouraging investors and the development industry to bring on new products to make sure that we can compete with the international attractions. We are being told that there is a new wave of Asian visitors looking to come and visit that land that they are learning about as these major nations transition into the 21st century life style.
And of course there is the realism of the ever expanding population of Australian and the need to develop more housing accommodation for the additional 2 million Queenslanders forecast to be living in the state over the next 30 years.
Governments at all levels are recognising that these is a significant switch to density living by key sectors of the community and that these individuals and families will be moving into high rise accommodation and enclave suburbs under strata and community title. While the construction industry will be stimulated by these opportunities in the short term, the growth will increase the demand for responsible management of these major complexes by experienced administrators with their skills to deal with the diversity of day to day issues which arise in community living.
It has been heartening to see the federal government commit to tourism.
It has been heartening to see that they have been prepared to make a long term commitment by funding the nation’s car industry.
Tourism and accommodation development offers the same opportunities for Australia’s future development through tourism and new housing and investment benefits.
We look forward to our state and federal government’s committing to our industry so that we can continue to develop real contributions tour one of our core industries – tourism and to the better lifestyle of those people who choose to live in density accommodation.
Chris Ward
ARAMA
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